Indicator light for control switches



March 4, 1952 1. R. LATTA INDICATOR LIGHT FOR CONTROL SWITCHES Filed Dec. 51, 1949 IIII I Inventor-z Isaac R. Latter,

His Attorney- Patented Mar. 4, 1952 INDICATOR LIGHT FOR CONTROL SWITCHES Isaac R. Latta, Drexcl Hill, Pa., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application December 31, 1949, Serial No. 136,390

2 Claims. 177-311) This invention relates to a control switch having illuminated indicators for indicating the position of equipment controlled by the switch.

In the control of large electric power circuit breakers, it is often the practice to employ manually-operated switches to energize electricallycontrolled opening and closing mechanisms. Indicator lights are frequently mounted adjacent to these switches to alternately indicate, when lighted, whether the associated circuit breaker is in the open or in the closed position. It has further been the practice to mount the switch and the individual lights separately on a large control panel, thus requiring a number or complicated mounting openings in the panel.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to' provide a circuit breaker control switch, including indicator lights, which may be mounted as a single unit on a control panel.

It is also the practice to employ indicator lights for the above-described service which include colored lenses through which the light is viewed, these lenses being fastened over the light source by means of a threaded fastening which necessitates an appreciable time and some difficulty for removal of the lens for replacement of burned out lamps.

It is, therefore, a further object of this invention to provide a control switch including indicator lights having easily removable lenses,

In carrying out this invention, therefore, a manual control switch for apparatus such as circuit breakers may be employed including indicator lights, the combination being mounted on a single escutcheon plate for easy assembly on a large control panel and employing indicator light lenses which are retained in position over light sources by means of compression spring members under each lens which bias the lens outwardly, away from the light source, and short transversely-extending ears on the edges of each lens which extend behind the escutcheon plate to limit the outward lens movement under the bias of the associated spring, each lens being easily removable by inward tilting movement of the lens, compressing the spring and disengaging one of the ears.

For a more complet understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front view of the switch of this invention. Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view through section 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the structure of the indicator lamps and lenses; Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view at section 8-3 of Fig. 1

two differently colored portions l showing the lamp and lens structure in further detail; and Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view through section 2--2 in Fig. 1 showing how the lenses are removed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in Fig. 1, there is shown the entire switch of this invention indicated as a whole as I and having an escutchen plate 2 with indicator lights indicated generally at 3 and 4, and a switch operating handle 5. Behind escutcheon plate 2, there is mounted, by means such as screw studs (not shown) welded to the back surface of plate 2, a conventional enclosed switch contact structure 6 indicated in dotted outline. This switch contact structure may be like that shown, for instance, in Patent 2,355,457, issued on August 8, 1944, in the name of Virgil L. Mares, for a Mechanism for Electric Switches, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. The switch contacts are operated by means of handle 5 through a shaft 1 which has a square cross section. Handle 5 is rotated approximately either clockwise or counterclockwise to operate switch contacts to change the position of the circuit breaker or other apparatus being controlled. A target plate 8 is mounted on shaft 1 between the escutcheon plate 2 and switch contact structure 6. Target plate 8 has a lost motion connection with shaft 1 by means of a specially shaped shaft opening 9 so that the target plate is adapted to be moved only when the switch handle 5 is moved to a new operative position, and to remain in a position to indicate the last operative position of switch handle 5 after the handle returns to the inoperative position. This indication is visible to the operator through a small window opening ID in escutcheon plate 2. Target p te 8 includes and 12 which are alternately visible through window opening Ill. A suitable retainer (not shown) may be provided to hold plate 8 against the back surface of plate 2.

The indicator lights 3 and 4 include contrastingly colored lenses l3 and It. In Fig. 2, further details of the structure of these lights are shown. Light is supplied by small electric lamps I5 which are supported in lamp cartridges l6. Cartridges l6 are in turn supported on escutcheon plate 2 by means of a bracket II where they are fastened in the proper position by means of nuts I 3 threaded over the exteriors of cartridges It.

The lenses I3 and I4 each have a square outer corner [9 at one end and a curved outer corner 20 at the opposite end. Adjacent each of these corners, at the inner lens edges, there are small ears ll protruding under the edges of the lens openings in escutcheon plate I. springs 22 are provided between the lenses II and I4 and nuts II for biasing the lenses outwardly to engage ears Ii with the underside of escutcheon plate 2.

Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of the indicator light it through the section 3-! in Fig. l. The entire indicator light cartridge it is shown, as well as the structure of cartridge supporting bracket i'l.

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view of indicator light 4 and the associated portion of escutcheon plate 2 corresponding to Fig. 2 showing how the lenses may be easily and quickly removed for replacement of burned out lamps II. The lens is first pushed inwardly, compressing spring 22, and then tilted, as shown, to disengage the ear 2| which is opposite the square comer i! and the lens may then be entirely removed by movement outwardly and to the right as viewed in Fig. 4.

Referring again to Fig. 3, the outer end of spring 22 is retained by shoulders 23 after removal of the lens so as to be available when the lens is re-inserted by following the movements outlined above in reverse order.

It will be seen from the above description that this invention provides an improved illuminated indicator control switch which is characterized by greater simplicity, economy, improved appearance, and greater ease of maintenance.

While a specific embodiment has been shown and described, it will, of course, beunderstood that various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. The appended claims are, therefore, intended to cover any such modifications within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a multiple position manually operated illaminated control switch of the class having an escutcheon plate for mounting upon a control panel with a handle in front of the escutcheon plate and a shaft extending from the handle through said escutcheon plate to a switch contact srtucture, the combination of signal lights mounted on said escutcheon plate for indicating the position of apparatus the position of which may be controlled by the control switch, said escutcheon plate including openings through which each light may be viewed, said lights each including a secure by small electric lamp, a generally cylindrical lamp cartridge, a bracket for supporting said cartridge on said escutcheon plate, a colored lens positioned 21361-412 Compression 1 within the associated escutcheon plate opening, a compression spring surrounding said lamp for biasing said lens towards the front of said escutcheon plate, said lens including two radially outwardly-extending ears for engagement with the back of said escutcheon plate to resist the biasing force of said spring, said lens being removable from the front of said escutcheon plate by a backward force against the front of said lens to rotate said lens to disengage one of said ears. and shoulders on the back of said escutcheon plate to retain said compression spring when said lens is removed.

2. In a multiple position manually operated control switch of the class having an escutcheon plate for mounting upon a control panel with a handle and a shaft extending from the handle through said escutcheon plate to a switch contact structure, the combination of signal lights mounted on said escutcheon plate for indicating the position of apparatus the position of which may be controlled by the control switch, said escutcheon plate including openings through which each light may be viewed, said lights each including a small electric lamp, a lamp cartridge, a bracket 'for supporting said cartridge on said escutcheon plate, a colored lens positioned within the associated escutcheon plate opening with edges in close cooperation with the edges of said opening, a compression spring associated with said bracket for biasing said lens towards the front of said escutcheon plate, said lens including two radially outwardly-extending ears for engagement with the back of said escutcheon plate to resist the biasing force of said spring and a front Portion protruding through said opening including a comer adjacent to one of saidears having a radius at least as great as the thickness of said lens, said lens being removable by a backward rotational movement of said corner of said lens against the bias of said compression spring to disengage one of said ears, shoulders on the back side of said escutcheon plate to retain said compression spring when said lens is removed.

ISAAC R. LA'I'I'A.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED S'JEATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,963,722 Smith June 19, 1934 2,315,420 Harrington f. Mar. 30, 1943 Paulps Oct. 81. 1944 

